I am pretty sure that JK has made his decisions on the 23 players he’s bringing to Brazil. The games in Austria and Scotland were to give a few bubble players a chance to make an impression. Some did, but most did not. What remains though are the injured players current and future, who are for all intents and purposes on the team now but might not be in Brazil.

If there is one area where the current positions can be improved, even at this late a date, are the defensive corners, As good a Beasley is a football player, I am concerned that no one has really dethroned him from his “makeshift” corner back position. My only other area of concern is when the US plays a lone center forward with Altidore up top. This formation has not always worked really well for the US. I am confident though that by the time Brazil rolls around, those kinks can and will be worked out.

Every WC cycle, 2-3 players make a late surge. Think Buddle and Gomez in 2010. JK himself showed he is not afraid to bring a player from nowhere. Look at Odonkor in 2006. The kid was totally unproven (and did nothing later in his career), but he had one memorable late-game-sub performance in the WC.

Maybe someone like Jack Mac or a player who isn’t on anyone’s radar at all?

I think if Cherundolo gets healthy and returns to form, he is one player who can force his way onto the team despite not playing in hardly any of the qualifiers. I agree about Beasley and we may see Fabian Johnson taking his place since we have so many midfielders of quality.

what I mean is that he has a lot of talent to pick from, but not a good eye for a coach. When he was with Germany, he did good for the fact that germans know how to play soccer and play hard even though they are winning or LOOSING.

yeah, eurosnob, klinsmann’s much better at picking out left backs. for instance, he was the first to play beasley at left back. oh wait, no he wasn’t. but then, he also recruited fabian to play for us. oh wait, no he didn’t.

Nate, you are a worm. You know nothing about the game. You come on here always hating on the U.S. and being a sarcastic prick.If you are a U.S, fan, you are pathetic. People here think you are a joke. You know nothing about the game. Just shut up. You are one of these Mexican reject bandwagon fans that fall over to the U.S. side. And once the U.S.has a bad you game, here you come bashing them as if you know what you are talking about. You are a pathetic worm. Quit trying to pretend you are a U.S. supporter you prick.

Of course, this was the first Gold Cup where every team but Panama did not bring their A group of players and the first in a long while where Mexico was so inept. so that statistic is pretty meaningless.

That is so far from the truth. This always happens with the “of-year” Gold Cup. Meaning the one that takes place a year before the World Cup. The one that doesn’t qualify you for the Confederations Cup. And even tho that has changed starting with the 2013 Gold Cup, and now the winner of that which is the US will play the winner of the 2015 Gold Cup or the “good one” teams as you said STILL didn’t bring their best teams for the most part. Well go look at the 2009 Gold Cup when Jay Heaps and Beckman were leaders…or we saw Santino Quaranta and guys like Logan Pause get in the squad, 05 GC was the same

El Paso is I’m guessing a Mexico supporter. But to be honest, there are still holes in the team, strange roster choices and we will likely get an awful draw so I put our chances of getting out of the group stage at about 20%.

Both honey, I cheer for both national teams with no bias feelings. For instance Mexico got freaking lucky, that USA scored for them but Mexico now has a coach that is somewhat like athletico Madrid coach simeone. Mexicos new coach has a very good eye and kinda of a rookie as coach but with good history results.
As for kilnsi, he should be good if he stops going bak n forth with lineups and players but I’m telling u USA fans, kilnsi is set up to fail or make history.

Those can of beans you have been eating have shot to your brain instead of shooting out of your butt… frijole style. You must be thinking of your Mexican side that only won two games in qualifying. You think that l little goofy looking fat Mexican is going to turn them around? LLOOOOLLLLL!!!!! After the first match, Mexico will fire Piojo the pukeo. LLOOOLLLL

I think those last games realty showed how he will use Cameron. He also is looking good at RB w Stoke. I think Johnson is our best active LB, but I hate to not have him in the mid field. I think we have to have our best players and most athletic on the field to go against the worlds best so I think Johnson plays LB and Beasley will be the back up. I also like Lichji (not sure of spelling). Maybe he takes LB and Johnson can move up to mid. Mids then would be Dempsey, Bradley, Jones and Donovan with the Ice Man up top with Altidore.

People keep saying “Cameron is looking good at RB.” I think Cameron looks fairly pedestrian at right back. He seems to be out of position fairly frequently, fails to pick up his mark a several times a game.

Is he horrible? No, and I’m not sure who else will play at RB if Dolo is still hurt.

But I wish someone would explain how Cameron is “good” at RB. And please, don’t just rattle off who he plays against or what league he’s in. What I want to know: Is he actually playing WELL against those people in that league? Not seeing it.

From the games I’ve seen he plays fairly mistake free in defense and adds quite a bit in attack. Not just as a possession outlet either, he often makes incisive passes that force opponents to scramble.

That he’s doing so in a top flight european league isn’t insignifcant.

I would say that when the ball is in his vicinity is he is a quality player. He does well going forward with the ball at his feet and he can defend well against a man with the ball, although I haven’t seen a game where he’s been tested against someone with real pace.

It’s when the ball is not near him that he struggles. He appears to not know when to make an overlapping run or stay back, and he can lose his man when the ball is on the other side of the field because he tends to drift a little too centrally.

I think he does well for Stoke, but I don’t think he’s the kind of RB that JK really wants in the team.

I think he has played well he in the EPL as of late. The last few games he has pushed forward. Without Dolo, I think he is the best option. And, i think he is a good option. The last few games people have commented that he should be man of the match.

Seems to me Klinsmann is keeping everyone off-balance. He teases people making them think he is really interested in them and then politics gets in the way. It would be much better if he made up his mind. He knows that some of his choices will be bad ones. Still, he should give those people a chance who have had the best record over time. He should not keep choosing players who are injured all the time. People who are injured all the time, like Donovan and maybe now Dempsey, not to speak of Steward Holden or Cherundulo, should be looked at very carefully. Their bodies may be under too much repetitive stress. By and large Klinsmann is doing his best to find good players.

Klinsmann was a world class player who starred in the World Cup. He took a raw, young German team to third place. He knows far more about the game than anyone on this site. To repeat what I have written before, if you consider what he has said in general and apply it to the national team, everything he does is aimed at preparation for the WC. I think he plays a lot of players out of their regular position in order to create depth and that has been successful. You have a # of players who can play more than 1 position. He has said he wants to take players out of their comfort zone. I think this explains a lot of his player selection and positioning. The result is more depth than ever before for the US. and no player able to take his place for granted. What he mentioned in this clip is important. The players are hungry and focused. They know they can’t take a minute off. This has been one of JK’s main goals, I think. I don’t think he doubted for a minute that the US would qualify so everything has followed from that and the application of his policies.

Just because he was a great player does not mean he is a great coach. Case in point, Maradona. On top of that, JK had a great assistant coach and didn’t have to take Germany through qualifying. The first major team that Germany had to play was Italy, who the lost to.

Really, if one is honest about JK’s record as a coach, it isn’t that impression at all.

Perhaps he will prove me wrong but his decision making is more than strange, it’s in many cases criminal. Just look at the fullback choices.

I doubt what I have to write will change your mind but I am not buying into the hype. I will wait until after the World Cup to make my final judgements.

True, but it’s kind of silly to dismiss Klinsmann as “unproven” in any meaningful respect simply because the World Cup hasn’t started yet. If the discussion over optimism/pessimism in the run up to the event, then Klinsmann’s record and accomplishments with the USMNT so far definitely play a role.

All you have to do is look at Mexico to see what actual terrible coaching can do to a team in qualifying. I agree that crashing out of the World Cup would show that Klinsmann was ultimately unable to make meaningful progress with the team and would render all the CONCACAF stuff relatively unimportant – but that hasn’t happened yet, and it’s ok to be optimistic and suspect that it won’t.

Your making a silly statement because reaching the semifinals of the world cup is a major accomplishment no matter how many fans are behind you. On the other hand, maybe the German players were also very motivated for that great bonus WC money which the German soccer federation always offers (will be about $400K per player if they win the 2014 WC as stated in the Kicker web site).

i don’t know, i think it’s all about expectations. do you think brasil will be happy with a semifinal appearance next year? i sure don’t think they would view it as a ‘major accomplishment'; more like the absolute minimum.

There’s a difference, though, between pleasing the fans and attaining reasonable objectives. I’m sure most Brazilians “expect” their team to at least make the semis passed mainly on 1) it’s Brazil; 2) they are hosts; and 3) seems reasonable to expect given their dominance in the Confederations Cup this year.

Going into 2006, expectations in Germany were not nearly so high, mainly because 1) it’s Germany, whose media and fanbase aren’t as “optimistic/delusional” as Brazil and some other countries; 2) they tanked at the ’04 Euros. With hindsight, it really appears that most fans simply underestimated the talent on the roster and Klinsi’s coaching ability.

The point is that it is viewed as a “major accomplishment” by Germany to have won 3rd place in 2006, and reasonably speaking it was a significant accomplishment given the relatively untested state of their makeup and strategy. Expectations vary by nation, year, and preparedness. Meeting fan expectations is sort of a fickle way to approach a tournament.

Without having seen this draw, I personally think it will be a significant accomplishment simply to get out of a group in this tournament. The fans may clamor for the quarters, but unless we get a lucky draw this year I don’t think that’s entirely realistic.

Timothy Chandler is the best right back we have.. He has the positional awareness, the crossing and pace to make a difference, much like Fabien on the left..I know, everyone looks at that Honduras game and says…”he cant do it” but, he was lined up as the lone player, in an off balanced formation, he had to run the entire length of the pitch, without help..that’s tough for anyone

While 2013 was an impressive year for the USMNT and we have (arguably) the best & deepest player pool in our history to work with; there are still issues that JK and his staff need to address. 1) Where to deploy Fabian (LM or LB)? If LB than LD becomes the LM and Zusi/Bedoya fight for the RM spot. And we need another winger option to immerge (Beasley, Green, Shea, Gyau)
2) Beasley @ LB is a liability against physical sides (European & African nations). As is Castillo. Would like to see Fabian be the starting LB and Beasley moved more advanced or another option to immerge (Lichaj, Chandler, Klute).
3) RB – I don’t think anyone is completely comfortable with Evans as the starting RB. A healthy and in form Dolo would be best, but if he’s not able to make it back I hope that Cameron, Lichaj or Chandler is the starter come June.
4) Who partners Bradley? Jones is the preference…but is it the best partnership? IMO they are too similar and do not have very good chemistry right now. I would prefer MB partnered with a dedicated CDM (Cameron, Beckerman, Edu, Williams) to give him more freedom to move into the attack.
I am optimistic about this team heading into the WC, and if everyone is healthy I think they could have a very good showing (regardless of the draw).